The Lord of The Alchemists
by Scarlet Guardian
Summary: Christine Huygens isn't your average alchemists. People from her alchemy school torture her, she doesn't have any parents and she isn't even good at alchemy. One night, an old lady states that her real name is Christine Elric and her past was all a lie. Now, Christine has only one goal left - to find and reunite with her brothers.
1. Christine of Nothing

_Alchemy. The source where a humans body and mythical powers becomes one. Alchemy is used by many, some who think they have the skills and others, who don't have much confidence in themselves at all! But there is a taboo, human transmutation, to give something in order to obtain. And we all know the horrific tale of the Elric brothers. But did you ever guess that they would have a long lost sister?!_

"Stop it, cut it out!" protested Christine Huygens as a bunch of girls circled around her, taunting her. "Great," she thought "Victoria is with them…"

"Ha! And you call yourself and alchemist with _those _skills!" Victoria kicked her hard in the stomach. "Go to hell. You don't belong here!" And off they went, laughing. Christine dragged herself up, wincing at the pain in her ribs, but decided it was better than being taunted even more. She started to think up of an excuse to tell to Winry about her state at the moment. "I'll think about it later," she thought and started the gruelling walk home.

* * *

"I'm home," Christine mumbled.

"Oh, welcome home Christi- Christine! What happened?" Winry cried as she rushed to her, a look of worry on her face.

"Oh, er… it was nothing… just that… oh yeah I fell while running home and scraped my knees and arms on the stone pathway. But it's nothing," Christine rushed, hoping Winry wouldn't find out what had happened.

"Christine, don't play dumb with me. I know what happened because I **saw it all from the front window," **Winry explained, her jaw tightening.

"Oh man," Christine thought "Get ready for telling off mode!"

" Winry, stop whining over the fact that Christine got picked by some stupid girls from the same alchemy school as hers," came a voice from behind her. It was Pinako. To Winry, she guessed that she'd have to chew Christine out later. But to Christine, she thought she could here angels singing!

"Hell yeah, Pinako to the rescue!" she thought doing a victory dance then cringing from her stomach wound. "Christine, why not you go to your room while we are getting supper ready. It's your favourite – stew."

"Yes! Okay then." And she ran upstairs before any of them could say or do anything.

* * *

Christine flopped on her bed and reached for her book about human transmutation. It was given to her by her father before he left for war where he died. Christine believed none of that. She believed that there was more to the story than him just dying in a war! She had heard the horrific tales of the Elric brothers and marvelled at their adventures. She had always wanted to be like them but knew she would have to study hard to be one of the best alchemists in the land just like them. You could say it was her number one goal. Anyway, back to the book. _If one was to obtain something, they would have to give something valuable in return._ She loved how the lines brought mystery to reality, how there was a moment of suspense before you could read on!

"Christine, supper's ready!"

"Coming!" she yelled and placed the book gently on her desk before going.

"You will not believe what happened, Granny!" Winry whined. "Christine had gotten beaten up by some girls from her alchemy school and she wouldn't even tell us. Granny, won't you say something? And Christine, drink your milk!" she said in a stern voice.

"No way, it tastes like sawdust!" Christine retorted.

"How do you know what sawdust tastes like?" '

"I have my instincts, Winry!"

"Your nonsense instincts now drink your milk!"

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

While the two girls were fighting on whether Christine should drink her milk, Pinako heard a knock on the door. "I wonder who it could be this late..." she wondered. She opened the door to see an old lady in nothing but rags and a cloak with a walking stick giving a pleading look to her.

"Please let me shelter in this lovely house of yours for a few hours. I have gotten lost and have nowhere to camp!" the lady pleaded, tears filling her eyes. "Why of course, come in and make yourself comfortable" Pinako said kindly. As the lady walked into the house, she instantly felt a strange presence. The same presence she had felt when she had encountered the Elric brothers... She seated herself in the nearest armchair and was handed a cup of tea. She looked up then stopped, mouth gaping. "That girl, no, she can't be!" she thought to herself. "Y-y-you're" she stammered. Christine turned to look at her, a look of confusion on her face. "You're Christine _Elric_ aren't you?" Christine stopped, and then stared at her as if she was crazy.

"I'm sorry, what did you say? Did you mean to say my name is Christine _Huygens_?"

"No, your name is Christine Elric!" Christine couldn't believe her ears.

"So I'm not Christine Huygens they... My real name Christine _Elric..."_


	2. Power of the watch

"So I'm not Christine Huygens… I'm Christine _Elric_?" "Yes, indeed," the woman replied. "In fact, there is story which I have. How you got separated from your family and how you returned…"

"Your mother had given birth to you just after Alphonse Elric had turned 10. It was meant to be a surprise, you see, to finally have a little girl in the family. But on that night they were to take you home…" The woman faltered. She was crying. "What is it?" Christine asked gently." I cannot say I'm sorry. But your brothers wanted you to have this." She held out a package wrapped in oil skin, which Christine readily took. "Thank you, but what happened next? As in, when they were going to take me home. W-wait! Where are you going?" Christine darted to the window, but all that was left was a pile of ash. "She's gone…"Christine murmured and then remembered Winry and Pinako. She whizzed around, for her solid telling off and…

"They've scampered to their rooms now have they? Oh well, best to find out what's in this package. And what did she mean, Christine Elric. How am I an Elric? I'm just a good-for- nothing girl who can't do anything." Silent drops of tears trickled down her cheeks and landed on the package. It began to glow. "Wh- what's happening?" she gasped, unravelling the thick oil skin, pulling out a silver pocket watch with a dragon print on the front. The glow suddenly became brighter, filling the whole room with an illuminating white light.

Christine awoke with a start. She was in her bed, the pocket watch in her hand. "No way," she gasped. Had the light just teleported her to her bed. "Awesome!" She exclaimed. Usually, when she woke up for school, she felt tired and crappy. But now, she felt relaxed, as if she had been sleeping for hours. She picked a pretty blue top, black mini-skirt and black tights. She let her hair out tying some of it into two twin-tails, secured with ribbons. She gently placed the pocket watch in a small bag around her waist. "For good luck," she smiled to herself. She rushed downstairs, got to the door and yelled "I'm off now! Good luck with the auto mail!" and raced out into the early morning sunshine.

Christine felt so good, just running with the sun in her face. Suddenly, a foot came out of nowhere tripping her, and she was heading down. Without thinking, she lifted her hand and performed a tremendous front flip, saving herself from several scratches, landing perfectly on her two feet. Gaping at her was Victoria. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here? Miss Fashionista, huh. Hmm you really have to work on your dress code. I mean, I could have sworn I saw you where that frilly top last week. Victoria turned red in the face before strutting away. "Oh, and by the way, isn't the academy the other way?" she yelled before running towards the school. She glanced back to see Victoria absolutely mortified. "Wow, this pocket watch is really doing me a favour!" she thought before placing it back in her pouch.

Christine was early for school, and everyone just stood and gaped at her. She was approached by many people asking where she got her new outfit and how it really suited her. Victoria just stood with a bunch of her goons, all of them glaring her way. "Okay people!" Professor Medum boomed from the front. "Today's contestants for the Alchemy Face-Off will be… Christine from Deity and Victoria for Grimion." The whole place roared with cheers as the pair made their way down from their house groups. "You're going down, Huygens," Victoria growled. "Oh, don't count on it," Christine shot back but she was scared. She didn't know if she could do it or not. She had always been a bad alchemist. Tears of frustration emerged from her eyes and then she screamed "I AM AN ELRIC!" A white aura erupted from her body swirling around her. Lightning sparks shook from her hand. A thunder shock hurtled towards Victoria, her screams being the only thing that could be heard. When the smoke cleared, Victoria's hair was a mess, her clothes were tattered and her dignity lost. "Chr- Chr- Christine wins…" the Professor stammered the room erupted withshouts and cheers. Some of the boys from Deity lifted her up to their shoulders and everybody chanted "CHRISTINE THE LIGHTNING QUEEN!" Victoria was 'excorted' by some of her friends to the ladies room and still looked like a mess when she came back. And that wasn't the end of Christine's luck. Her study marks raised high, her alchemy amazing and at the end of the day, she was approached by none other than Xavier Nightwing. In other words, every girls crush "Hey, Christine! You overpowering Victoria was pretty cool. I was wondering if you would, you know, want to go to the Alchemy Ball with me?" Christine had never been approached like this before. The annual Alchemy Ball was held every year, where students got to dress into their finery. She blushed. " I'll think about it, okay?" She said this because she had a feeling that someone else would come, someone who understood her more and not just because she had a change in heart. A loud bang came from outside the academy. Two men in military uniforms were heading her way, and they had a mysterious gleam in their eyes…

**To be continued…**


	3. Luke of Black Lightning

A hand grabbed her and quickly pulled her to a corner. A boy about her age with a shock of black hair, dark pants and a shirt was holding her wrist and looking both ways. Before she could say anything he said "I won't let them get to you, I promise," gazing deeply into her eyes. Christine felt her face growing hotter by the minute. "Quickly," he suddenly said. "Think of your home, where you live." "O-okay," Christine stammered, before picturing her home in Resembool, the quaint little alchemy store. He suddenly clapped his gloved hands and yelled 'Transport!' A bright light drowned everything out of her and she felt herself falling. "AAAHHH" she screamed, before falling into someone's arms. "Gotcha!" the boy grinned. "Th-thanks," she mumbled her face fire-engine red. "Okay, you may be wondering what those goons want with you and how I appeared and it's because I use lightning alchemy as well. He released his hands making a black, electric current. Christine stared at him in bewilderment. "Well, only both of us. You use white lightning, I use black." Suddenly, they heard footsteps heading their way. "Maybe I can explain all this in your place?" he asked, before running alongside her to the front door.

Once inside, Christine didn't find Winry or Pinako anywhere. "Where's your family," the boy asked looking around. "Oh, my family has this auto mail business. They've probably gone to get some more supplies," Christine answered, reaching into a cabinet for a pouch of tea. "Why don't you have a seat and you can explain everything to me. Oh, what's your name, by the way?" " The name's Luke," he answered. "My name is Christine," she replied. The two stood in an awkward silence and jumped when someone waked past. "I'd better bolt the door if I don't want those crepps barging in!" Christine laughed.

"Here you go." Christine placed two steaming mugs on the table. "Crumm Magorda, leader of Kira military wants us for testing as we're the only lightning alchemists known. Thought maybe I could bring you to Chief Mustang's military and get you a place in the academy there so we can start a fresh," Luke explained. She looked at him, not understanding a single word he had said. "Maybe I should explain. The military you want to go to is Mustang's one. You become a state alchemist there a-"He froze when he say Christine's pocket watch." That pocket watch… Where did you get it?" he gaped. "Oh, you mean this? Some old lady came one stormy night giving it to me, saying I'm an Elric. She even says it is Edward Elric's pocket watch." "No Kidding!" he breathed. "Well, do you have one?" she questioned. "Yeah, I only passed the State Alchemy Exam last month!" he exclaimed. "Well, after the lady left, the watch overwhelmed me with this bright light. I wake up the next day in bed, the watch still in my hand," Christine explained before taking a swig of her tea. "Well, those two Elric's are still alive…"Luke thought out loud. "What do you mean?" "Firstly, your emotions got to the watch, passing some of their ability and power to you, namely the overwhelming light. Secondly you can use lightning alchemy which only you and I can use. They are probably out there somewhere and need your help. "So you're suggesting I go out and find them?" Christine asked hopefully. "Well, yeah. I mean, they're probably handling something really hard and would need another hand," Luke said, in a reasonable tone. "Well, first there is my family to consult, then the academy. And lastly, where do start?" They heard a key twisting in the lock.

Winry and Pinako walked in, arms filled with bags of machinery. "Welcome home Christine. Who've you got with you, a friend?" Winry asked, eyeing Luke. She suddenly ran up to her and whispered "A rather cute one too. You might want to hang on to him," before smiling at her smugly. "Gee Winry, it's not like that!" Christine muttered, blushing. "So, what are you doing, homework?" She eyed the table. "Don't see anything here." "Well, I have a confession to make…" Christine tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "This is Luke. He saved my life from this military called Kira Military. They attacked the academy today, probably after me." Winry dropped her bags. Pinako stood there dumbfounded. Winry rushed tow Christine tears streaming down her face like rivers. "Christine! Are you alright? What happened?" she choked, hugging her tightly. "I'm fine Winry, have a seat. You too, Pinako. I have a lot of explaining to do."

"Well, that's the whole to story!" Christine collapsed in her chair. Winry was gripping her mug tightly, Pinako by her side. "I-I have a confession too," Winry stammered. Both Luke and Christine's ears pricked up. "Edward and Alphonse Elric were my family friends. When my parents died, I began living with them, helping Pinako with the auto mail shop. One day,they left after burning they're home when they're mother died and they're father disappeared. When they left, Al's soul was in a suit of armour and Ed's arm and leg were made of auto mail. They left saying something about finding a philosopher's stone. Al came back, his body back to normal, but Ed was gone. Soon Al disappeared stating he had to find Ed an- and now we don't know what do!" she wailed, burying her face in her hands and crying ferociously. Christine patted her, not looking forward to what she was going to say next. "Well, you see… that's kinda the point. " This was really hard for Christine." "I want to find them."

"ARE YOU COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"Winry burst. Pinako sat in her chair, shaking her head. Seriously, that girl new when to make a dramatic line when she wanted. "Well, yeah I mean, they need me. And I need them." "But what if you don't come back?" Winry protested. "I will, okay, I just need to work some things out and I'll be home!" Winry was about to object but was shushed by Pinako. "The time has come…" Pinako replied, before walking off toward the kitchen cupboard. She pulled out a satchel and started filling it with medical supplies, bottled water and food. "What are you doing?" Christine asked. "You're going on a journey, aren't you?" she grinned.

After much hugs and good luck, Christine went up to her room to change. She spotted the alchemy book. She picked it up, feeling of the cover. She smiled, before placing it into her pack. "I'm coming!" she shouted, tying a lock of her hair with a green ribbon.

"Where to now?" Christine asked as they trudged through the afternoon breeze. Then it hit her. "Central! They have this huge library with tons of books, and Ed was a state alchemist at the military like you. And I also have to give my ID back to my teacher at the academy," Christine replied before racing toward the building. Luke had no choice but to run after her.

When they were nearing the academy, Christine noticed that it didn't look damaged like it was supposed to. "Alchemy repair," she thought. All he students were gathered in the clearing talking amongst themselves. She spotted Xavier and to her dismay, and sudden rage, with a bunch of girls his arm around Victoria. "That sneaky little scoundrel! He really wanted to go to with me to the ball, but then sucks up to that whiny Victoria. Fine by me," she thought before storming toward Professor Chandel. "Christine!" he gasped. "Thank goodness! Where were you? I thought we lost you in the collapse of the building." "Sorry P.C, but I've got some news. I won't be attending anymore." She passed him her ID. "B-but why?" he gasped. People started to crowd around them. "Why are you leaving? I thought you were going to be my date to the ball," Xavier pushed his way in. "For your information, I don't go to a ball with a guy who sucks up to other girls. You should consider counselling," Christine bit back. "What the? But Christine, I didn-""Talk to the hand coz' the face isn't listening." Christine slammed before flipping her hair and walking away. "Ah buh-bye," Luke waved before running to catch up with her. "Who's the snot face?" he asked. "A cheater. He's so pathetic. But anyway, let's get to the station so we can grab a train to Central. They both lifted their arms to the air and shouted " To Central!" before racing each other to their fates.


	4. Revenge on his sister

**Hey Everyone! Scarlet Guardian here! Sorry I wasn't able to post this chapter! I had meant to a long time ago but never seemed to have the time. Never the less, here it is! (By the way, I DO NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist. The amazing Hiromu Arakawa does!) P.S I am a huuuuge fan of the Bravely Series (Akihiko Yoshida, you rule!) Please pm me who your fav character is! Oh, me? Well… EDEA LEE! (Fangirl scream) She's just everything about me, y'know! Never mind that, Enjoy!**

"Sir, I see Luke coming with a girl, she must be the one!" a man whispered excitedly into a payphone.

"Really? Excellent," the man answered, with a tinge of relief. "Make sure they board the train to Central soon."

"Yes sir!" the officer replied, before terminating the call. The man stared at his desk, a smile spread across his face. "Looks like he's found her. Let's see what she's got," he whispered to himself, reaching for his mug of coffee.

"Hmm… That's funny," Luke found, gazing at his tickets. "I thought we were scheduled for the next train…" He scratched his head. "Oh well. Guess we could surprise everyone else by coming early."

The duo sat in their cabin as the train began to move. Christine sadly watched as Resembool disappeared out of sight.

"Guess there's no turning back now," she thought.

"I meant to ask you, how old were your brothers when you were born?" Luke asked.

"That's a good question," Christine thoughtfully said. "Well, lesse seeing as I'm 13 now they were probably 4 or 5 when I was born. I guess I was like, kidnapped or something seeing as I don't remember my parents' faces," she said, fiddling with her satchel strap. Luke looked at her in surprise. "You mean you only remember your time with Ms Winry and Ms Pinako?"

"Well, yeah I guess. They're my family now and nothing can change that." She looked at him expectantly. "Well, I've told about myself, how about you?" she eagerly asked. Luke looked at her in surprise before breaking into a grin.

Christine was utterly amazed at Luke's life story. He was a boy who only had a frail grandmother to look after him and had been taken under the care of President Roy Mustang. From there, after seeing Luke's determination and stealth, he had found out he was the black lightning alchemist and had received his State Alchemist watch just last year.

"So we're technically orphans, right? What a coincidence! We'd better stick together, seeing as we're buddies and all!" Christine blushed and was about to reply when a deafening bang shook the train. Muffled screams came from all over the train as two men walked in.

"Get yer butts off the seats and put your hands in the air!" the extremely bulky man yelled.

"Like you just don't care!" his wiry partner laughed, only to be nudged rather painfully in the arm. Both held rifles.

"We fight," she heard a whisper from behind. She knew Luke had whispered to her and he was right. As well as alchemy, she had learnt sparring in the academy. She was pretty good but possibly she could be even better… They were walking towards them now, getting closer, and closer.

"Now."

Christine flipped through the air, smacking the wiry man square in the face. He crumpled to his knees, instantly unconscious. The muscular man pointed his gun at her but was shocked by a dark lightning bolt. They were both unconscious. Luke gazed at her in sheer delight. "Wow, Christine! You're really good at sparring! Teach me that awesome flip when we get to Central!"

"Uh, sure!" she smiled. "I HAVE ED'S POWERS!" she screamed in her head. Their victory was immediately cut short by an angry voice. "Look what you've done, you idiots!" a man yelled at them.

"If there are two gunmen, there are probably more! When they realise two of their men are missing, they're probably going to attack this cart as well! We should've just co-operated with them and nothing would have happened!" Murmurs of agreement filled the room. Luke stood up on his seat.

"We would never let this cabin be attacked, sir," Luke apologised. "We just want to help everyone get to Central safely on this train. I have an idea, but it will only work with your co-operation…"

Luke thoroughly explained his plan: The passengers would act as if nothing had happened. He and Christine would solve the matter merely by themselves. They quickly tied the men and gagged them before sliding them beneath two seats. Luke looked across to Christine.

"You ready?" She smiled. "You bet." As they trudged towards the door, all the passengers began to recall a story just like this with a boy who was extremely short and his armoured brother, silhouetted against the two alchemists.

Christine and Luke charged into the next cabin, knocking out three other gunmen. They threw the intruders' weapons out of the train and made sure to tie and gag them all, before slipping them underneath two nearby seats. This time, they were able to find a map, enabling them to locate where the engine room was.

"Sir, how long until we get to Central?" Luke asked.

"We're about half way," he answered. Christine suddenly saw one of the tied men hold up a gun.

"Luke!" she screamed, lunging in front of him.

"KLANK!"

The man fell in agony, his left shoulder bleeding. Christine slowly lowered her leg, breathing a sigh of relief. "How did you..?" Luke murmured.

"My boots are made of a special automail prosthetic. So it's basically bullet resistant. But it's covered in leather, so that no one knows!" she winked. She then stormed to the injured man and grabbed him by the collar. "Listed up, bud. Who else have you got tied up here?"

"Hostages!"

"Huh?"

"Hostages! In the engine room! Just please don't kill me!" he whimpered. Christine lightly got up, before swiftly kicking him unconscious with her boot. "That's what you get for trying to kill my friend!" she thought in disgust. She turned to Luke. "C'mon, Luke! We're heading this way!"

Luke on the other hand, needed some time to recover. "She's so scary!" he though racing after her. "Cute, but really scary!"

"Sir, we're lost contact with all the other carriages!" a panic-stricken man yelled. A man stood up.

"Bring the hostages. I won't let them teens get to our loot," he ordered.

"Okay, I think this is it," Christine pointed towards a door saying **ENGINE ROOM** in bold letters.

"Right, let's do this," Luke smiled, reaching for his pocket.

"Consider it a shall," she smiled before smashing the doors open with her boots.

"What did you do?!" Luke howled.

"Umm, I busted the door open," Christine answered.

"When I said let's do this I meant _let's make a plan_!" Luke clutched at his head.

"Oh, sorry!" she laughed. Three men stood in front of them, dumbfounded. A scream came from behind them. A woman was clutching her kids as her husband fell to the ground.

"THOMAS!" she screamed.

A man walked in, his arm covered by a cloth. "Welcome," he grinned. "You've come a fraction bit earlier than you were supposed to." He gazed at the bleeding man, clutching his side in pain.

"Five more seconds and I could have killed him…" he sighed. "But first, I'll deal with you."

Christine jumped at the man, grabbing at his right arm. She jerked but was shoved off but a metallic force. She skidded to a halt, before grinning. "Automail prosthetic, am I right?"

"Very good, very good," he sneered. Luke zapped him with a bolt, but it didn't as much as bounce of his arm, piercing another man instead. "You see, the military didn't like me with an upgraded arm," he said, stepping over the charred body. "So the kicked me out. That was years ago. Even then, that brat Edward Elric broke my state of the art prosthetic, So when I heard you were boarding this train possessing the same talent, I thought I might like to give some payback, seeing as you're an Elric, or so I've heard," he smiled cunningly.

"How did you?" Christine faltered.

"You didn't notice my employee?" Bald shrieked. "Hah! We heard every fine detail. Ooh, how lovely! To beat up this brat's sister…"

"What should I do?!" Christine thought in panic.

"Believe."

_**Lucayla, Goddess of Light. Also known as the Goddess of Peace and Hope. Known to have defeated all homunculi and now resides in the soul of a human girl. Once awoken, incredible powers emerge within, enough power to bring down an entire empire. But if the chosen one encounters its worst enemy, wielding the weapon of glory and attacks approximately three times, their soul will lay in an eternal slumber…"**_

Christine could feel it. Power from every corner of her body. She felt her hands tingling as if she was playing with fire. She couldn't hold it. She was losing conscience and her body was growing hotter by the minute. She immediately fainted, the Goddess of Light taking over her limp body. Christine's eyes suddenly turned a bright white. She regained a composure and now stood in front of a very surprised Bald.

"Wh-what's happening?" Bald shrieked. Luke rushed to Christine, eyes filled with worry. "Christine, are you alright? Hey!" No sound came from her lips as she slowly made her way towards Bald. All his men had either jumped off board or were hiding out of her reach. Christine lifted her hand, a blinding light escaping from her white fingers. "AAAARRRGGGHHH!" His scream pierced the air like a jagged knife. Luke looked at his arms in surprise, all his bruises and scratches slowly healing.

Christine squinted as she slowly opened her eyes. She was in a brightly lit chamber, the floor she lay on painted in extraordinary colours. She painfully got up, only to see an extremely beautiful woman gazing upon her. She was dressed in white and gold robes, her body radiating in extreme light.

"Who are you?" Christine meekly squeaked. The woman slowly floated towards her and placed a hand on Christine's cheek. "My name is Lucayla. I am the Goddess of light," She smiled as she stroked it. "I currently reside in your soul, in exchange granting you extreme powers. Though I don't want you to use these powers for wrong doing." She swiftly placed her hand on Christine's chest.

"Your heart is pure. So full of light that I am thrilled to work with you. So please…" Lucayla faltered. She stood up and recited: "Aria du grovent." Christine could feel herself drowning in a brilliant light, Lucayla disappearing with it.

"Sir, are you alright?" Luke rushed to the fallen man. "Actually, I'm quite alright," he replied, perplexed, rubbing his side. Luke turned to see that Bald now lay on the floor utterly defeated and Christine was beginning to stagger. "Christine? Hey Christine!" Luke shouted, rushing towards, catching her just as she lost balance. She was out cold.

"Oh Christine," Luke murmured. "First that military, now this? What's happening to you?" Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a station coming their way. "Boy oh boy, we're finally here!" here exhaled. He suddenly stopped. "Why is… he here?"

Luke had to carry Christine out of the train as she was still unconscious. He walked up towards the man and gently placed her on the ground before saluting. "President Mustang!" he saluted. He nodded at the woman standing behind him. "First Lieutenant Hawkeye." She firmly shook her hand.

"Hey Luke!" a voice sounded behind him. He turned to see Jeanne Havoc walking up towards him.

"Is this the girl?" he questioned, feeling her pulse. "Yeah, she's the one," Luke replied. "But I think she's more than that,"

"Why do you say that?" Mustang looked up from the papers he held.

Luke began his story by explaining how they were ambushed by gunmen, a wealthy business man and his family as well as Bald and his crew. He also made sure to add in about Christine's sudden change. Mustang stroked his chin. "Interesting, interesting. Well, seeing as she's out cold, let's take her back. Wouldn't want anything harmful to happen to you partner now… _Right Luke?_" he grinned.

Luke blushed and bent down to pick her up only to hear a clank behind him. "D-Damn you pest!" Bald growled, raising a pistol. "BULLET-PROOF BOOT!" Luke yelled rather awkwardly grabbing Christine's leg. The bullet deflected, hitting Bald in the arm who cried out in pain.

"Alright!" he grinned, flashing thumbs-up to Mustang. "Lemme guess… Automail prosthetic?"

"Yup, and covered in leather!" Luke smiled, chatting away with him while Bald was quickly arrested. Christine was limp on Luke's back as he trudged towards Roy's car. "Y'know, maybe life wouldn't be so hard if she just took it easy," Luke thought as the car sped away toward the military establishment.

"_Well, well. Come take a look at this, Envy! We have company! And she's an Elric," a lustful voice beckoned to another. "You're kidding, right? That scum tricked me into going into the gate and you're telling me he has a sibling?!" Envy shrieked. The attractive woman got to her feet. "Call the others. We need a meeting," she exclaimed turning to a plump creature beside her. "Gluttony, you too." "Can I eat her, Lust?" Gluttony asked hopefully. "I'll have to think about that one," Lust replied. Her expression hardened as a thought crossed her mind. "Lucayla resides in that girl. She defeated us and so did that Elric. What are we? Nothing but souls…" She smiled as her fingers grew to long blades. "How wonderful though, that Majora has pitched in to help!"_


	5. In Good Hands

**Hi everyone! It's Scarlet Guardian here! Sorry if my grammar and paragraph setting is really bad, I've been trying to get my word document working so that it will get nice, smooth paragraphs. Nevertheless, here is LOTA Chap 5. (I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, the amazing Hiromu Arakawa does!) **

"Huh?" Christine awoke to find herself in the same radiant room she was in at the train. When she slowly got up, she saw Lucayla at her throne, motioning to Christine to sit next to her.

"Christine, there is something important I must tell you. The time of evil is upon us, slowly gathering its warriors. They are known as Descendrei. You are the Bringer of Light, as well as another individual The Bringer of Dark. Having the power to defeat the Bringer of Doom, you both will exterminate her as well as rescue her followers. But that will all come with a cost…" The white room suddenly turned into a dark swirling abyss, and Christine felt herself plunging into it.

* * *

"GAH!" she cried as she fell with a bump. She was… in a bedroom? It seemed to be an infirmary, the walls all white and a small wooden table in the middle. The bed she had currently been sleeping on was in a mess, the sheets everywhere.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Christine turned to see an attractive girl with bouncing brown curls run to her.

"Y-yeah, I'm ok I guess," she murmured taking the girl's hand.

"I've heard lots about you from Luke, Christine! Oh, I haven't even introduced myself yet," she laughed tapping her head. Christine watched in amazement while the girl shook her head laughing. She had never met anyone like her.

"I'm Cynthia."

She handed Christine a cup of tea as she began to make the bed.

"Thank you for your help, Cynthia!" Christine then realised something. "By the way, where are we?"

* * *

Christine had been fully dressed and was now being toured around S. Bradely Military Academy. All the students were either in groups or pairs as they headed towards a big hall.

"Ah, thanks to you, I was able to miss out on one of my History lessons!" Cynthia explained happily. "I practise healing alchemy so I usually help the school's nurses. You know, you were in a coma for three days!"

"Three whole days?!" Christine thought in alarm. She was about to say reply when she heard a shout from behind them.

"Hey, Cynthia!" They turned to see a boy with a shock of red hair running towards them.

"Argh man, you're so lucky, being able to miss out on Armstrong's lesson. _What destroys can create, what creates can destroys…_ Jeez, I could have had a nice nap!" he groaned. He turned to Christine.

"So you're Christine, huh? I'm Jasper." He held out a hand. "It's nice to finally meet you!"

"You too!" Christine smiled, as they shook firmly.

"Heh heh. You should have heard Luke, going on about you: _I should have protected her… What's going to happen now?" _he laughed, making her blush.

"_He was thinking about me this entire time? What a guy_," Christine thought dreamily.

"If she doesn't make it, who's gonna teach me the flippy thing now!" Cynthia finished, both of them laughing hard on the floor.

"Oh," Christine thought. "That makes sense."

But she really enjoyed the humour and company of these two interesting people, who will also serve as of the most trusted of friends for the Lord of the Alchemist.

"Hey, who's that girl with Cynthia?" someone whispered to a group. "Yeah, she's really pretty," another agreed.

"Enough, you two!" an extremely beautiful girl objected. "She may be pretty but there is no way that she will surpass me and my looks!" The girl whipped out a photo of Luke before smiling. "I mean, there's no one else perfect for Luke than me after all."

* * *

"Oi, Luke!" Cynthia yelled as the three sat themselves in the assembly hall. He turned to them, and waved excitedly before running up to them.

"Hey you guys! Good to see you're all better, Christine!" he said, taking the seat next to her.

"One minute, you're as scary as hell, the next, you're lifeless like a pancake. Nothing like the girl who deflected the bullet wi-"Luke clutched his leg in pain as Christine lowered her boot.

"That will shut him up," she thought to herself.

The assembly was mostly filled with encouragements to join clubs and upcoming events and alchemical performances. There were also some awards to be given out, too.

"And this year's Overall Sports Champion goes to… Luke Wysteria!" A loud cheer of congrats filled the auditorium as he went to collect his trophy.

"Wow, the whole school must really like him!" she said in awe.

"Oh, it's more than that!" Jasper laughed.

"Yeah! You know, he got chocolate from nearly all the girls this year on Valentine's Day." Cynthia agreed. "Look, there's his fan club.

They all turned to see a whole group of girls eagerly screaming and shouting for him. One girl though, stood our far more than the rest.

"Hey Cynthia, who's that girl in the middle?"

"Oh, that's Vicenta. Vicenta Nightwing," Cynthia stated matter-of-factly. "She's like, the queen of the school." Christine nodded in understanding until something struck her like a brick.

"Wait, did you say _Nightwing?_"

"Yeah, why?"

"Does she happen to have a brother, like, in Resembool?"

"Oh yeah! Xavier Nightwing! He's a total flirt. Why?"

"N-never mind" Christine whispered. She suddenly felt someone's eyes on her and turned to see Vicenta staring at her in disgust as Luke came back proudly showing his trophy. "Great, first I deal with the brother, and now the sister is at this school, too. Damn it all!"

* * *

"Hey, guys? I'm in the serious need to go to the bathroom. You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up with you!" she yelled after the assembly, as she raced down the hall towards one of the bathrooms. As she was about to leave, she was greeted by a group of girls who all seemed to be following the very attractive one in front of them.

"Hi! My name's Vicenta. Or maybe you already know that?" Vicenta said, brushing one of her golden locks.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Christine." Christine could very well tell that Vicenta wasn't in a good mood and decided that she was probably on her bad list.

"Yeah, I don't care about that," she snapped, shutting her purse quite violently. "You know, you've been hanging around Luke quite a lot haven't you? And let me tell you one thing: **He is mine! **And anyway, you'd just drag him down! So if you get to close…"

She had now cornered Christine to the bathroom wall "… I will kill you!" she snarled. With that, she twirled and causally walked out of the bathroom, her group eagerly following after her. Christine slumped against the wall, her heart beating wildly in her chest. "What have I gotten myself into?" she wondered.

* * *

"Christine!" a voice called behind her. She turned to see Luke running towards her. "Hey Lu-GAH!" She remembered Vicenta's taunt as she left the bathroom. "Ah! Eh, err… FLOWERS!" She screamed rather awkwardly.

"Huh?" Luke tilted his head in confusion.

"Oh, um, there are awesome flowers here and uh… I saw some by the entrance. I love flowers!" she giggled nervously.

"Oh, you want me to go wi-"

"Bye," she cut in, quickly racing around a corner.

"What the heck?" Luke thought in amazement, as he saw her running of. "That was so strange! Not like her at all…"

* * *

"Gah, what have I done?!" Christine thought as she stopped to take a breath near the infirmary. Her face was all flushed and she felt unusually warm inside. "I must have hurt him bad!" she thought.

"Christine?" a voice called behind her.

"EEYAAH!" she screamed, turning to see Luke with a puzzled expression on his face. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at the flowers," he asked.

"T-that's because I… *sigh* Yeah. I was going to read my alchemy book but I forgot which room it was," she slowly said, avoiding his eye.

"Actually, it's right down there. You just need to turn a corner," he said, pointing to the door.

"Thank you, Luke!" She stared horrified, as she saw Vicenta and her group walking down the hall.

"ThanksLukegottagoseeya!" she rushed, bounding away from the infirmary and into the school courtyard.

"Wha? Why is she avoiding me?" he thought uncertainly. "Maybe I should ask Cyn."

* * *

"Luke, what's the matter?" Cynthia asked. Luke had called her out and the now sat on a park bench,

overlooking a current baseball match.

"Christine's been avoiding me today, and I don't know why." He solemnly stated. "I wonder if I did anything wrong…"

Cynthia thought for a moment. "I do remember seeing Vicenta and her gang crowd around someone inside the girls' bathroom. That girl was wearing black and green with a…" She gasped violently, startling Luke. "What's the matter?"

"I got it!" Cynthia yelled, as she ran towards the main building. "Luke for her, Luke!"

_Look for her…_

Luke's feet suddenly began to move. He gasped as he began to run, faster and faster.

"Why do you think Luke is running so fast?" a girl asked her friend. "I don't know. But did you know, her got into the school's elite track team?" the other girl answered. "He's so cool!" they squealed, walking together and giggling hysterically.

* * *

"That was a close one," Christine thought as she slowly got to her feet. She had somehow ran to a lovely lake with a huge tree beside it. As she sat down, she remembered telling Luke she was at the infirmary.

"I've done it again!" she sighed. "He probably hates me now." The lake had a somewhat soothing effect on her. "Well, I guess I should apologise to him later." A blinding light filled the air as she once again melted with it, building the shimmering altar she knew so well.

"Mistress Lucayla!" Christine happily chorused as she raced to her.

"Hello, Christine," Lucayla smiled warmly. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Huh?"

"Your feelings. They were sorrowful, extremely terriefied and confused at the same time. You can talk to me about it, if you want to," Lucayla gestured, tapping a seat next to her.

"So you know how I'm feeling, huh?" Christine laughed unhappily.

* * *

"Hey, Vicenta!" Cynthia shouted, walking towards her.

Vicenta turned, surprised at the determined expression on Cynthia's face. "Wow, what's with the look there, Cynthia?"

"Oh, I don't know," Cynthia replied sarcastically. "Maybe because of how awful I've realised you've come to be."

"What nonsense are you spouting, Cynthia? I haven't done a thing!" Vicenta retorted, hurt.

Cynthia shook her head, her face filled with distaste and horror. "You really don't understand, do you? Whatever you said to Christine in the bathroom, I'm sure she took it as a threat because she's been missing for three hours now!"

Vicenta's raised her eyebrow, smirking as she twirled a strand of her golden hair. "Really! Oh my goodness, I only meant to give her a friendly little warning, that's all..."

"You're really unfair, you know…"Cynthia murmured, her body shaking all over. "You don't understand how important Christine is to Luke…"

She looked up and to Vicenta's amazement, she saw a look of courage flash through Cynthia's face. "If you do something to her, it'll be Luke you're asking to give a punch to!" she yelled before turning, and continuing on her way. Vicenta stayed rooted to the spot in absolute shock, not even being able to move.

"P-punch… Luke?"

* * *

"My dear, you shouldn't worry about a girl like that!" Lucayla said. Christine had told her of what happened earlier, and they now sat together, talking about what she should do.

"So you're saying I just be myself around him," Christine asked.

"Yes. You are friends with him, are you not?" Lucayla smiled.

A pang of guilt embraced her, as she remembered how much he had done for her. "Yeah, you're right. I need to go apologise to him!"

"Well, it looks as if you won't be needing to look for long!" Lucayla beamed. The room began to grow dim, until all the light suddenly vanished.

* * *

"…stine?"

"Who's that? It's coming from so far away…"

"…Ristine!"

"It's getting louder!" she thought in panic.

"Christine!"

With a jolt, Christine instantly woke up. She was staring at Luke.

"W-what are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.

"Uh, duh! Looking for you? You've been missing for hours!"

"Seriously?!" she yelped, getting up with a start.

"Yeah, Cynthia, Jasper and I have been worried sick about you. Don't do it again!"

Christine remembered the promise she had made to herself at the throne room and sheepishly turned to face him

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry!" she said, bowing her head in shame. "I'm sorry for avoiding you like that!"

"Woah, what's gotten into you?"

"Wha?"

"I was just confused, that's all. I'm not mad at you. Don't worry, I forgive you!" he grinned.

"Thank goodness!" she beamed to herself. "What is this place, by the way?"

"This place? Mustang made it in the name of an old friend of his, Brigadier General Maes Hughes," Luke stared off into the distance. "He was killed by one of the homunculi. Left behind his wife and daughter." He turned to her with a sad expression on his face. "Every time mid-term swings by, I always stay over at their place. You see, I don't have a family to go home to. I am an orphan after all," he laughed slowly getting up. "But I've got Jas and Cyn, Mustang and this whole school. And that's family enough," he smiled. "So, you wanna be a part of it?" he asked, extending his hand.

"Yeah!" she answered, as he pulled her up.

* * *

"_Igneel, how long do you intend to keep yourself hidden inside that boy?" Lucayla asked a shadowy figure. _

"_I plan to make my entrance when the time comes," a low voice answered. He swiftly walked up towards her and gave her a pendant. "T-this is…"_

"_Yes. Those two possess an unusual amount of power. With this, they may be able to stop the bringer…"_

"_When, you meet him, please tell her to protect her at all costs?" Lucayla pleaded._

_Igneel snorted, "That's what I had in mind from the start!"_


	6. Noel Hancock

That night, Luke had a dream. Of a man, dressed entirely in black, his cape cascading down his back as he towered over Luke's cowering form. The man's expression was grim and firm as he snapped his fingers, producing a black lightning bolt, strong and electric in his palm.

"My name is Igneel," he said, waving the bolt to nothing. "I am the God of Darkness." His protruding eyes suddenly turned warm as a grin spread across his face. "What's with the frightened look? Don't worry, I'm the good guy!" he laughed, bringing the shaking Luke to his feet. "In exchange for my incredible power, I reside in your body," Igneel said, lightly tapping Luke's chest.

"You mean, like Christine and her alchemy?"

"Yeah, like that! Except her bearer is Lucayla, Goddess of Light." His face suddenly turned serious.

"Luke, a threat is coming your way, and by all means you must save its victim," Igneel stated, suddenly glowing dark.

"W-what do you mean, save?!" Luke cried out, but it was too late. The darkness had engulfed him plunging him into its deep abyss.

* * *

"Early morning training!" Christine yawned, stretching as she slowly stepped onto the grassy field. Brigadier Hughes's lake was definitely her favourite place at S. Bradley Academy. She slowly brought herself into a low stance, gradually pulling her legs up until she somersaulted backwards, kicking the air with her bare feet. She landed on both her toes, a jubilant smile spread across her face. "I've mastered the dragon stance!" she thought happily. Whenever she concentrated really hard, she could communicate through to Lucayla.

"Very well done, Christine. Congratulations!" she heard from the back of her head. Whenever she had a moment, Christine always found herself sparring, kicking and punching, mastering her techniques. She couldn't always count on Lucayla to continue taking over her body, and Christine still had to get a hold of herself from going berserk!

"Hey Christine." She turned to see Luke in his running gear, walking towards her.

"Hey, what's up?"

"There's something I'd like to talk about," he slowly said, shifting his feet. "About our alchemy, that is…"

* * *

"_Majora, what are you planning on doing with the kid, anyway?" Lust asked, as she slowly released her sharp blades. An attractive woman stood in front of her, smiling calmly beneath her elegant black dress. "Lust, this boy is quite unique for a child of his age. Always holding onto that mechanical object he can deceive anyone," Majora explained, her expression suddenly going cold. "He has power. Power capable enough to stop the likes of Lucayla and Igneel." They were then greeted by a girl dressed in robes, as she tapped her feet towards them._

"_Majora, Noel is at his destination," the girl smiled, swaying to and fro. "Excellent, Masqueree, make sure you know of his whereabouts."_

"_You can count on me!" Masqueree beamed, twirling back and forth. "Oh… Once this is all over, can't we just sit back and have a lovely masquerade?"_

* * *

"So you know Mistress Lucayla?" Christine and Luke were now seated under the big oak tree, talking about their abilities. "Yeah, Igneel explained it to me, as well as what mine is," he smiled contently. "He reminds me of the President," Luke laughed, shooting a black bolt at the lake. "I guess I'll get along with him well. But he did mention one thing. A threat is comi-"

Before he could finish, they heard a rustling from behind them and turned to see a boy, his figure extremely small walking towards them. He held a strange mechanical object in his hand, twisting and turning as he went. On his forehead, was a small, bright red stone, the colour of blood.

"Christine, jump!" Luke shouted, pulling her with him as a great arc of light shot out through the boy's gears. Coughing and spluttering, Christine and Luke slowly got up, examining their threat in shock. "What did he just do?" Christine breathed in horror.

"I'm not sure," Luke grimaced, snapping a lightning bolt in his hand, "But he's not going to let us get away,"

"Cynthia!" Jasper called, running up to her. "Hi Jasper!" she smiled, slowly dropping the boxes she was carrying on the floor.

"What's in the boxes?"

"Oh, just fabrics for the sewing group," she huffed, catching her breath.

"Want me to help?" he asked.

"Can you? Thank you so much!" she happily cried, giving him a box. As they walked through the school grounds, a thought struck them.

**Where is Christine and Luke?**

* * *

"Christine, there come's another one!" a beam barely missed her as she flipped to the side. They were both struggling to keep up with the boy, who would shot beam after beam from his shifting gears.

"I have to stop him," Christine thought, summoning an electrical ball into her palm, before running up to him. She was about to smash her palm to the back of the boy's head when she suddenly heard a voice at the back of her head.

"Do not injure the boy." She dodged a coming beam and concentrated on the boy in surprise. "Don't injure him? But how do I stop him?"

And then she felt it. The melting sensation as she slowly became one with the surrounding light. Luke too could feel it, although he saw himself melting into a dark light. Slowly, they both fell into the abyss, time in their world reducing to a stop.

* * *

As they slowly awoke, Christine and Luke found themselves in a different chamber this time, made out of lush marble floors and diamond ceilings, the room glowing in a shimmery golden light. In front of them, stood the two gods Igneel and Lucayla.

"Welcome, Christine and Luke, to the Holy Chamber," Lucayla smiled warmly motioning for them to come forward. Igneel looked at the two, a playful expression on his face. "Yes, welcome you two. Nice to finally meet you Christine!"

"And you too, Sir Igneel" Christine replied back, immediately feeling the warmth and humour of the God.

"As you may know, you were about to attack the boy, possibly injuring him in the process. But, try me if you like, that boy is actually under control – of that Philosopher's Stone in his head."

The sudden statement Igneel had said shocked both Christine and Luke as they listened in silence.

"So what you're saying is, we have to break all philosopher's stones on their heads?" Luke asked, everyone exchanging grim looks.

"Yes, except for Majora. Being the queen, she was no human who was merely swallowed by the stone. **She is a demon"** Lucayla explained. "Which is why me and Igneel bestow upon you these."

The air above the two glimmered with a radiating light as two objects floated towards them. As they slowly picked them from the air, the light grew brighter blinding their vision until suddenly, there in front of each of them, was a weapon, Christine, holding a staff and Luke bearing a scythe.

"Each one of you will purify their souls, bringing them back to their human state which they lost many years ago," Lucayla slowly said, bringing her arms up.

"Now go," Igneel added, bringing his arms to the ceiling too. "Show him what you're made of!"

Their surroundings grew brighter and brighter, the familiar, drowning feeling taking up each and every part of their body. Knowing their destiny, they jumped towards the pit, hand in hand as they fell together, into nothingness.

* * *

"So, what are you doing here anyway?

Noel reared in shock as he saw the two alchemists in front of him. He eyed their new weapons suspiciously, surprised at how he got knocked out so fast. "H-how, could they?!" he thought in surprise, reaching for his gears. A quick flash came from him, talking him by surprise. "N-no, don't tou-," Noel cried in agony but it was too late. He crumpled to the floor, his gears in ruins as the two alchemists effortlessly jumped out of reach. He gazed in horror at the broken pieces, clutching them towards his chest. "M-mum, Dad..." he whispered, his eyes turning from white to red. "Urgh… UrrrgghghaAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Noel's scream echoed throughout the lake, as a bright light exploded from within him.

* * *

"_Hey, mommy? When am I going to get the surprise?__" a young child excitedly whispered from his chair. _

_"D__ear Noel, you must be patient! Your father is coming home soon, and I heard he took a trip to the engineers!" his mother winked. _

_"Really!" he squealed, bouncing up and down on his seat. More than anything in the world, Noel wanted to make automail. _

_"Just like Grandpa did," he thought to himself. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Noel's mother walked over to open it saying to the child "It's probably your papa coming home." The next thing Noel heard was screaming. He heard his father too, as if he was attempting to protect his mother. Not knowing what to do, Noel hid underneath the bed, shying away from the footsteps outside. "There's no one else, we're free to go," a man yelled as he and his companions ran out of the house. "Mommy? Daddy?" Noel cautiously whimpered before rearing in shock. There, on the floor, hand in hand, were his parents. Blood covered the entire room, vases and picture frames smashed on the floor. As he dropped to his knees, he saw something glinting in their firm grip. Gently extracting the piece from their lifeless hands, Noel saw in amazement, the parts to an automail prosthetic. _

_**To our son**__ it said in bold print. "Mommy, daddy…" he sobbed, clutching the gears to his chest. Tears streamed down his face as he began to cry, his sobs growing louder and louder._

"_Well, you look like you're in a mess, aren't you?" _

_Noel spun around in fright to see the woman, her wavy hair and lustful appearance making him wonder in confusion. "You know what? I can help you bring your mommy and daddy back!" the woman beamed, stroking his shuddering shoulder with here gloved hands. "I just want you to eat this tiny red stone… Yes, good boy. With this, you can live happily, with both your mommy and daddy!"_

* * *

As Noel began to stir, he felt… warm. His surrounding were calm and motionless, and he felt as if a huge weight had been taken of his shoulders. To his amazement, he found himself lying in the arms of Luke, Christine holding a flask nearby. "Here, drink this," Christine gently smiled, slowly handing Noel the flask. "Don't worry, it's only water!" she laughed at his perplexed expression. "And I bet you're really thirsty too!"

Nervously taking the flask in to his hands, Noel softly placed the opening against his mouth, sipping cautiously, before gulping down its contents in a flash. Quietly mumbling a small 'thank you', he gazed forlornly at his hands, lightly opening and shutting them, eyes dull with loss.

"I'm sorry I broke it," Christine whispered. "We needed to get this out of you." Slowly peaking at her hand, Noel could make out shards of red scattered across her palm.

"Was I being controlled?" he quivered, shying away from it.

"Don't worry, it will have no effect on you anymore," she replied, slowly shaking them into a pouch. Christine and Luke quickly glanced at each other, nodding as Luke placed a pouch into Noel's arms.

"I'm not sure whether it's much anymore, but we attempted to fix it!" Luke smiled. To Noel's disbelief, there nestled in between the folds of material, was his gears.

"Y-you fixed it for me?" he whimpered, tears filling the corners of his eyes.

"Of course! She broke it after all!" Luke coolly replied, only to be slammed quite hard in the shins.

"Sorry, you deserved that."

"Thank you! T-Thank you!" Noel beamed, clutching the pouch tight to his chest.

"No problem. We should really take this kid to Mustang. He'd know what to d-"

A loud explosion sounded from the lake as smoke filled the air in a blink. Coughing and spluttering, the three could make out a figure, completely clothed in robes walking towards them.

"Now now, Noel. You do know what happens to bad boys who don't get the job done!" a sing-song voice called from the dust.

"Sh-she's here!" Noel recoiled in fright, as Luke and Christine stood protectively in front of him. Sweat dripping from her chin, Christine fingered the staff in bewilderment, not knowing what to do. Until a snap clicked from behind them. Instantly, a channel of fire seared past them, bringing heat and a shrill scream from the smoke.

"Really Luke and I told you to tell me first before you go breaking my academy."

"You're late," Luke grinned, as a man appeared from behind the tree, pulling at his gloves.

"Who are you?" the robed girl replied, swaying side to side.

"Who am I," he chuckled, producing a flame from his gloves. "I, am President Roy Mustang, of St Bradley Military Academy and Central"


	7. The Flame Alchemist

"You two!" Roy Mustang yelled, gesturing towards the two alchemists. "Take the boy to my office. Lieutenant Hawkeye should be waiting there. I'll take care of this."

"Yup, you will alright. When it rains," Luke sniggered, only to receive an inhumane grunt from behind him. Both of them grabbing an arm each, Luke slowly closed his eyes in deep concentration. Vivid thoughts of the president's office crowded his head, as slowly, the three were evaporated to nothingness by light.

"So, no homunculi for us?"

"More like our ancestors," the girl replied, twiddling a champagne glass in her manicured hands. "I came for the boy though."

"Well, that's a nice joke to start this off!" Mustang clapped, chuckling with humour. "Afraid you can't have him. He's not a Destinei like you anymore."

Snapping his fingers, he produced a bright orange flame, which rapidly exploded into a roaring inferno, barricading all sides of the lake, except for the exit. Grinning with pleasure at her shocked expression, he slowly stepped towards her, fingers ready for his command.

"Why not hurry back to the dorms? Oh sorry, I don't have any students in my academy by the name of _Masqueree_, so… Maybe next time, Sugar Plum!"

"How did you…" Masqueree faltered, while gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. "No, I'll be back. Not only for Noel, for the Elric too!" she screamed, disappearing in a cloud of red smoke.

As the last speck of dust cascaded against the grass, Roy Mustang slowly dispersed the flame, bringing the lake to its usual peaceful habitat. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, he turned towards the tree, sheepishly laughing to himself, "Heh heh, good thing it didn't rain…"

* * *

"So, you were ambushed by this boy?"

Christine and Luke had just finished explaining their troubling situation to the President as he paced the floors of his office, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Sound asleep upon a weathered couch lay Noel, his gears tightly enclosed to his chest. Lieutenant Hawkeye sat beside him, covering the tiny form with a blanket as she slowly pondered their situation as well.

"If Noel and that girl Masqueree have found you here, it may be only days… No, hours possibly before more troops attack," Mustang finally said, breaking the silence.

"But sir, how do you know their names, let alone that they have troops?" Christine asked.

"Actually, I was just getting to that." Reaching across his table, he showed them an aged picture, its face detailed with intricate patterns and drawings. In the middle of the picture were…

"Destinei…" Luke shuddered. "Hey, that one looks like Noel. To their amazement, he was right. Out of the five people who were drawn into the parchment paper, one was of a little boy, with ragged hair, tattered clothes and copper gears wedged in his hands.

"And look over there," Christine pointed to a girl with long flowing hair and a silky dress cascading to the floor. "She was the one who was about to attack us when we got the Philosopher's Stone out of Noel's head."

"These people," Roy Mustang said from his seat, "Have their minds taken over and their souls corrupted, by the Philosopher's Stone."

Looking carefully at the picture, they all noticed the small red gems encrusted on each of the individual's foreheads.

Christine furrowed her brow in confusion. The drawing, the Philosopher's stones and these people. It just didn't add up!

"I just wanted to add," Mustang said from his table, "You wouldn't believe who dropped in – and with a package for you."

To her amazement, Christine was given a parcel, its corners creased and tattered. The inside of it felt soft, giving it a fabric-like feeling. The whole room tensed in curiosity, before gasping in shock as slowly, Christine brought out a hooded red cape, its sleeves long and big. Alongside it came a note, its smell strong and prudent. Shakily picking it up, she read it. From start to end, over and over, digesting every word she saw.

"What does it say?" Luke asked, slowly peeking from behind her shoulder.

_To whoever it may concern,_

_Enclosed in this package is the almighty, one-of-a-kind, _

_The mighty, Fullmetal Alchemist's coat!_

_And I don't care whether I said __**mighty**__ twice, it just adds to the awesomeness._

_If you are looking for the both of us, we will be searching through the city of Reole, to the east of Amestria. _

_If you wish to seek us, it's all in your hands to find us!_

_Oh, and keep the watch. It will prove handy._

_Edward and Alphonse Elric._

"That," Luke breathed quietly, "Is so… LAME! Seriously, _almighty, one-of-a-kind?! _What's he doing, marketing?!" Luke yelled to a blank-faced Roy. A smile slowly spread from his face, as the president began to laugh.

"That was my favourite part," Roy snickered, breaking from his poker face.

"ARGH! YOU'RE NO HELP EITHER!"

"Man alive, Luke! Calm down!"

With the two shouting and laughing, Christine read the note over again, slowly fixing the puzzle together.

"From here to Amestria, it would only take a train ride to get there!" she thought excitedly. "And there so happens to be a station here at Central." She paused. "Wait, duh! How would Luke and I have even gotten here?!"

Turning towards them in delight, Christine explained her theory to the three, thrilled with her find. Soon, everyone was adding in their thoughts and ideas, the end result, a map to Reole.

"Wooh boy! Now that, was hard work!" Mustang wheezed, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Roy, the only thing you contributed to this project was coffee. A lot of unwanted coffee. Which you drank all by yourself," Lieutenant Hawkeye cut in. "Please, at least pay for their tickets."

"Gee Riza, what a way to break the fun," he complained, stacking cups upon saucers. "Ok ok, by tomorrow, you guys will have a decent ride heading straight for," he pointed his finger towards the landmark, "Reole, Amestria. If you are seeking for a place to stay, ask for a girl by the name of Rosé Thomas. She is a respected ally and one of the closest friends the Elric brothers made on their journey."

"Thank you, President Mustang," Christine replied gratefully. "C'mon, Luke! We should probably get everything ready for tomorrow. That way, we can make the morning tra-"

Christine was interrupted by a sudden slam from the office door. In ran in one of the military officers, his forehead beaded with sweat.

"President Sir! We are having casualties with a certain group of individuals who have broken through the security with armed weapons and powerful alchemy," the man reported in panic.

The president looked across his shoulder, a grim look plastered across his face. "So that girl has called upon reinforcements, has she..." He whipped his head around, quickly rushing Christine and Luke into a door.

"Keep on walking and you will find yourself outside of the student dorms. Luke knows where the infirmary is so you can grab your packs and whatnot." Mustang paused, before handing them each a cape.

"Good luck, and make sure to call me when you reach Reole."

"Thank you Prez," Luke saluted, before swiftly grabbing Christine and shutting the doorknob. As they left, Riza and Roy heard a stir escape from the couch. Noel sat, stock-still with fear, hands pressed against his chest.

"I feel them," he whispered hoarsely, shivering in fright. "They're here to get me…"

"Don't worry kiddo," Roy said, patting his head gently. "They'll have to deal with bigger problems before they can make a move on you."

* * *

Six years ago, the son of the Kira Military's Crumm Magorda disappeared on the 29th of July. Reports state he was in a state of depression as a girl his age had been kidnapped, sparing him while she was taken. Her whereabouts are unknown. To this day, the well being and safety of Lukas Margoda still remains a mystery, his ability of black lightning alchemy lost to the military.

Where his is now may well and truly remain unsolved...


End file.
